Report: Neuer's comeback to national team being internally discussed
The comeback of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to the Germany national team is being discussed internally in far greater depth and with far more controversy than coach Julian Nagelsmann has let on, the Kicker magazine said late on Tuesday. According to the report, Neuer's club, Bayern Munich, is also aware of the discussions. Both Nagelsmann and Neuer have recently publicly ruled out a return of the 2014 World Cup champion for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July.
"The World Cup will take place, but I'm not involved in it at all right now, and I'm not part of the whole thing, so I'm watching it calmly from the outside," Neuer recently said during the Sportstudio TV show. Neuer retired from the national team after Euro 2024 but his great performances for Bayern this season have triggered a debate whether he should play one more tournament for Germany. According to Kicker, Nagelsmann needs to send his provisional World Cup squad with 55 players to FIFA on Monday.
This list is not publicly disclosed. He will name his final squad on May 21. Neuer's comeback would be a huge defeat for Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
Girona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was expected to be Neuer's successor after Euro 2024, but several long-term injuries stopped his progress. Nagelsmann eventually handed the position to Baumann, who has great hopes of being Germany's starting goalkeeper at the World Cup. Germany are in Group E with Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.